Belgian Defence - Air Component - F-16 Fighting Falcon

The Belgium Defence Air Component (BDAC) selected the F-16 Fighting Falcon as a replacement for the F-104 Starfighter and Mirage 5. The F-16s for the BDAC where build by Sociétés Anonyme Belge de Constructions Aéronautiques (SABCA) The BDAC was the lagerst initial buyer, the first order where 116 F-16A/B and a follow on order for 44 F-16A/B all deliveries where completed in 1991. The BDAC initially operated 7 Squadrons with the F-16.

Because of the withdrawal of the Mirage 5BR recce aircraft the 2 Wing at Florennes Air Base where modified to carry the Dutch made Orpheus camera pod. These where later replaced by the Danish modular recce pod. As of 2001 the pods are equipped with new digital camera’s and infrared scanners, witch make real time reconnaissance possible.

In 1989 a two year study began regarding a possible mid-life upgrades for the USAF and EPAF F-16s. The resulting F-16 Mid-life update (MLU) package was designed to upgrade the cockpit and avionics to the equivalent of that on the F-16 block 50. The EPAF redesignated the F-16A/B aircraft that received the MLU as F-16AM/BM respectively.

An agreement on the MLU was finalized in January 1993. Due to cutbacks in the size of the BDAC the first plan was to upgrade only 48 F-16’s. In 1997 approval was given to update another 24 F-16s and in early 1998 the green light was given to upgrade the last 18 F-16 jets to the MLU standard.

The BDAC F-16 fleet where deployed for the first time to Villafranca in Italy in 1996 for the operation Joined Falcon together with the RNLAF. In 1999 the deployment moved to Amendola, and from that base the Belgium F-16 Det started with the NATO air campaign Allied Force. The deployment in Amendola ended in 2001. In 2004 the NATO tasked the BDAC with the NATO air policing mission in the Baltic republics Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia. This marked the first operational NATO fighter deployment in a former Soviet state.

From July 2005 the BDAC send four F-16s to Kabul International Airport in support of the ISAF troops in Afghanistan, this deployment ended in July 2006. In September 2009 the BDAC deployed again four F-16s. This time to Kandahar in the south of Afghanistan under the name of "Operation Guardian Falcon" in support of the ISAF troops on the ground.

The BDAC currently operates 5 units from two bases; 2 Wing at Florennes in the Walloon region comprising of 1 and 350 Squadrons (Sqn) and 10 Wing based at Kleine Brogel in Flanders comprising of the Operational Conversion Unit (OCU), 31 Sqn and 349 Sqn.

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F-16AM Fighting Falcon - Belgian Defence - Air Component

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Other F-16 Fighting Falcon operators

- Royal Netherlands Air Force
- Danish Air Force
- Hellenic Air Force
- Italian Air Force
- Norwegian Air Force
- Portuguese Air Force
- Republic of China Air Force
- Republic of Singapore Air Force
- Turkish Air Force
- United States Air Force
- United States Air Forces in Europe
- United States Navy

F-16 Fighting Falcon squadrons

- 2 Wing
- 10 Wing

Reports including

F-16 Fighting Falcon - FA67
- Fighter Weapon Instructor Training
F-16 Fighting Falcon - FA69
- OIE 2007 Kleine Brogel
F-16 Fighting Falcon - FA71
- TLP 2006/1
F-16 Fighting Falcon - FA72
- Clean Hunter 2005
F-16 Fighting Falcon - FA77
- NATO Tiger Meet 2009
F-16 Fighting Falcon - FA81
- Florennes farewells the TLP
- Koksijde 2006
F-16 Fighting Falcon - FA83
- Koksijde 2005
F-16 Fighting Falcon - FA84
- TLP 2006/1
F-16 Fighting Falcon - FA86
- Florennes farewells the TLP
F-16 Fighting Falcon - FA87
- NATO Tiger Meet 2009
F-16 Fighting Falcon - FA92
- TLP 2009/2
- TLP 2007/1
F-16 Fighting Falcon - FA94
- KeeBee Photocall 2005
- KB Warming up Photocall
F-16 Fighting Falcon - FA98
- TLP 2009/2
F-16 Fighting Falcon - FA100
- Koksijde 2006
F-16 Fighting Falcon - FA104
- TLP 2005/3
F-16 Fighting Falcon - FA107
- TLP 2007/1
F-16 Fighting Falcon - FA108
- TLP 2006/6
F-16 Fighting Falcon - FA109
- Clean Hunter 2005
F-16 Fighting Falcon - FA111
- TLP 2005/2
F-16 Fighting Falcon - FA116
- AirPower09
F-16 Fighting Falcon - FA117
- TLP 2005/3
F-16 Fighting Falcon - FA118
- Koksijde 2005
- RNLAF Opendays 2004
F-16 Fighting Falcon - FA121
- Clean Hunter 2005
F-16 Fighting Falcon - FA126
- TLP 2009/2
F-16 Fighting Falcon - FA127
- TLP 2006/1
F-16 Fighting Falcon - FA130
- Florennes farewells the TLP
- Frisian Flag 2008
F-16 Fighting Falcon - FA131
- Hungarian Air Force 70th Anniversary
- RNLAF Opendays 2008
F-16 Fighting Falcon - FA132
- TLP 2005/3
F-16 Fighting Falcon - FA133
- OIE 2007 Kleine Brogel
F-16 Fighting Falcon - FA134
- NATO Tiger Meet 2009
- RNLAF Airshow 2009
F-16 Fighting Falcon - FA135
- TLP 2007/1
- Belgium Defence Days 2006
- Clean Hunter 2005
F-16 Fighting Falcon - FB02
- TLP 2006/6
F-16 Fighting Falcon - FB09
- TLP 2006/1
- Clean Hunter 2005
F-16 Fighting Falcon - FB12
- TLP 2005/3
F-16 Fighting Falcon - FB18
- NATO Tiger Meet 2009
- Royal International Air Tattoo 2008
F-16 Fighting Falcon - FB20
- OIE 2007 Kleine Brogel
F-16 Fighting Falcon - FB21
- TLP 2009/2
F-16 Fighting Falcon - FB23
- KeeBee Photocall 2005